Cat Got Your Ears?
by venomoxide
Summary: Ritsuka just met Soubi and wants to get to know him... but not in the way Soubi has in mind. WARNING: Rape, Yaoi and Mature Themes. Don't read if you don't like.
1. Litte Kitty

**Okay, so Ritsuka and Soubi are NOT fighters in this story. It just complicates everything if they are.  
This is my first upload of a boyxboy story, so _constructive_ critisism is appreciated.**

WARNINGS:  
-This contains mature materials. (Rape, yaoi, and lemon.)  
-Flames + Marshmellows = SMORES BABY!  
-I do not own Loveless. I wouldn't be sitting here, eating my lifesavers alone on a Saturday life if I did.  
*wallows in self-pity*

ENJOY! :D

I sighed, leaning against my hand, pretending to listen to my teacher's lesson. I focused on her ears, which she still had. A lot of people talked about her behind her back because of this. Even though she was weird, I still thought she was a nice teacher. Maybe a little too friendly but, still… one of the nicest people I had met so far. Well, I suppose that friendly girl who sat beside me was _trying_ to be nice but, she just ended up being annoying.

The bell rang, startling me from my own thoughts. I gathered my things, hugging my books to my chest. "Ritsuka, did you enjoy that class?" Yukio asked, smiling stupidly. I shrugged, walking away from her without answering. I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. I shoved all my things in my backpack before throwing it over my shoulder. A few people smiled at me, trying to be friendly. I ignored all of them until I got outside, scowling at the wind. Trudging through the snow, I gave a small cry as I dropped all of my books, scattering all of papers in the snow.

I bent down, starting to pick up my work and saw another pair of hands picking the papers up. I looked up to come face to face with young looking man. He was smiling slightly, holding his hand out, offering me my papers. "Ah…" I took them from him, "Thank you."

'No ears?' I thought to myself warily, 'what is he doing here… he's not old enough to be a teacher or a parent. Maybe he is an older brother to someone.' "Are you alright?" He asked, still smiling friendlily. "Ah, yeah, not to be rude but why are you in the school grounds?"

He laughed quietly, leaning against the main entrance gate. "I knew your brother, we were childhood friends." I froze, staring blankly at his still happy face. "My… brother?" I whispered. "Yes, Seimei, he talked a bit about you." Suddenly I smiled, remembering, for the first time in awhile, my brother. He had died just recently before I transferred to this new school. "Really?" I asked, surprised by my excitement in meeting one of Seimei's friends.

"Yes, I'm Soubi." his eyes shone slightly, flashing me another smile. "Um… would you mind…" I trailed off, feeling suddenly shy. "Mind what…?" He pried, staring intently at me through his pair of glasses. "Ah… I was just wondering if you could maybe hang out with me. I never got to see my brother a lot. You remind me of him for some reason, so that's why I would at least like to spend awhile getting to know you."

To my surprise, he started to laugh quietly before answering me. "What did you have in mind?" I opened my mouth to say something but stopped short. 'What was I thinking? Just randomly asking an (almost) stranger to spend time with me?' Looking away in embarrassment, I shrugged and muttered, "I actually didn't have anything in mind."

"Let's just go for a walk okay? Maybe we can get ice cream if we pass somewhere…" We started to walk out of the school's gates, heading nowhere in particular. "So how did you know Seimei? You said you were childhood friends?" I stared at his back, waiting for an answer as he walked ahead of me. "Yes, we went to school together. He was a year older than me," he sounded sad when he said this. 'Of course he sounded sad, he was Seimei's friend!' I thought to myself angrily, 'Don't be so inconsiderate…'

"You remind me of him," I blurted out without thinking, immediately blushing after I said this. I heard him laugh before he looked over his shoulder to smile at me. "Thank you Ritsuka." Suddenly, he stopped walking, making me run straight into his back. "Owwww," I said, my voice muffled against his jacket.

"Sorry," He smirked; turning around to point to a store we were standing in front of. "Would you like some ice cream?" He asked, still smiling at me. "Ah, yeah," I nodded, following him into the happy looking store. "What would you like?" He questioned, looking down at me from where we stood in line.

"Anything is fine, just not something too sweet. I don't really like sweet things," I explained, feeling overwhelmed by the strong scent of the sugary ice cream. "Hm," He nodded, grabbing the sleeve of my shirt lightly to pull me up to the counter.

I stared at him out of the corner of my eye as he ordered: one small sundae. He paid and took the bowl from the person working behind the counter. "Here you go," He said, setting it in front of me. "Thank you."

I scooped some onto my spoon, placing it into my mouth shyly; having him staring at me so intently was intimidating, especially when I was eating. "You don't have to be shy," he said softly, "I'm not going to hurt you." Then he grabbed the spoon from my hand and dipped it into the bowl. He held it up to my mouth, an amused smile on his face. I opened, surprised by this sudden act, and he fed me the ice cream.

"Ah, thanks…" I muttered, the spoon hanging out of my mouth, my face unexpectedly turning red. "You're so cute," He said, his lips curling into a smile. "Just like Seimei…" I looked away from his staring eyes, feeling my cheeks burning.

'What's up with this guy?' I thought angrily. 'No one says stuff like that to other people when they barely know each other!' I wasn't that hungry anymore, I just wanted to go home. I didn't care if he was Seimei's friend.

"I think I should go home," I said, standing up from my chair. "Thank you for the ice cream and spending your time to hang out with me." He also stood up, nodding when I said thanks. "But, Ritsuka," he put a hand on my shoulder to stop me, "I would feel better walking you home. It's not safe for little boys to walk home alone at night."

I blushed, nodding and shrugging out of his grip. "Thanks for your concern," I grumbled, stalking out of the store, hardly waiting for him to catch up. "I wouldn't feel right letting you go out on your own; you never know what kind of people are lurking around at night," he continued to explain, catching up to me surprisingly fast.

I grunted, hoping he would get the hint that I didn't feel like talking. He did. We walked in silence for the short ten minute walk to my house until we reached the front door.

"Thank you," I turned to say goodbye. "Hope you arrive home safely." I added the last part in to reinforce the idea that he was leaving. "Just one thing," he paused for a few seconds, "Do you have a phone I could use?" he asked, his eyes flashing oddly.

I looked back for a second to see if there were any lights on in the house. There was. 'That means mom is home,' I thought to myself, feeling a little bit better. 'She probably wouldn't mind letting him use the phone…' I decided, turning around to look at his expectant face again.

"Sure, you were kind enough to walk me home." I smiled slightly; unlocking the door and pushing it open with my palm. He stepped inside after me, closing the door behind him. "I'll just go get the phone," I said, pulling off my boots and starting to walk into the light up kitchen. Suddenly I felt a firm grasp latch onto my shoulder and pull me back, causing me to trip slightly over my shoes. I stumbled backwards into Soubi, making a startled cry when his arms wrapped around me.

My cheeks flushed red when he bit my right ear softly, bringing one of his hands to my chin. He forced my head backwards, making my neck feel too exposed. "Wha-what are you doing?" I managed to sputter out, trying to break free of his grasp. "Mom! Help!" I cried, struggling against him.

"She's not home," he cooed against my ear, grasping both of my wrists and spinning me around to face him. "I have this cute little kitty all to myself."


	2. Kitty's Temper

**Hey, hey, hey!  
I was really excited to get a good amount of reveiws for this! I'm glad you guys are interested to see what's going to happen to poor  
little Ritsuka...  
Also, I apologize because it was brought to my attention that I had spelt Yuiko's name wrong. (She's not exactly my favorite character. XD)**

So, same warnings as last time. I don't own these lovely characters and enjoy!  
(Also, a huge hug to all my reveiwers. I've been told I have a nasty case of cliff hangers. :D So, I apologize in advance...)

"She's not home," he cooed against my ear, grasping both of my wrists and spinning me around to face him. "I have this cute little kitty all to myself." My eyes widened as I tried to rip my hand out of his death lock. "Yo-You said you wouldn't hurt me!" I yelled, barely noticing the tears that were threatening to spill down my cheeks. Again I struggled in his grasp, stepping backwards as he started to advance towards me.

My back hit something hard with a thud- the wall. Soubi chuckled lightly, suddenly leaning down to silence my cries with his mouth. It felt weird to me, having his lips smashed up on mine. He ran his tongue across my bottom lip, swiftly pinning my arms above my head. I tried to voice a protest through the kiss but it ended sounding like a moan.

I felt him smile against my lips before he pulled away to look down at me. My heart was beating a million miles per hour. 'Why had I been stupid enough to let him in,' I thought to myself angrily. 'I doubt I could fight him off… he seems strong.' I desperately tried to weigh my options.

He leaned back down to my neck, causing me to gasp when his tongue made contact with the skin. Having his experienced mouth ravaging my throat wasn't helping with the whole 'Think of a Way to Escape,' thing. I squirmed against the wall, my legs flailing against him and the flat surface behind me when suddenly he nipped my neck, pulling slightly on the skin between his teeth.

I screamed, squeezing my eyes shut tightly, "No Soubi! Please… stop!" I resorted to begging, hoping that he might have a soft side. Apparently not. His tongue flicked out as he suckled the bleeding welt. I whimpered, wishing my hands were free so I could wrap my fingers around his neck. He laughed wickedly, letting go of my wrists for just mere seconds before he picked me up easily and slung me over his shoulder in one movement.

Ignoring my fists that were now pounding on his back, he started to walk up the stairs that lead to the hallway connecting the two bedrooms we had. My stomach dropped in terror as for the fist time that night, I realized his intentions. Somehow sensing this, he laughed, sounding greatly amused. "What did you think I was planning Ritsuka?" he asked, pushing my bedroom door open.

Even though he couldn't see my face, I looked away, my flushed cheeks now soaked in tears. "Hm?" he taunted me, dropping me like a rag doll onto the mattress. I watched, horrified and unable to move as he climbed onto the bed with a sadistic smile. His eyes flashed as he grabbed my chin, his slender fingers curling around my jaw as he pulled me up into sitting position.

He smashed our lips together again, gripping a handful of my hair. I tried with all my might to push him away from me but my strength was nothing compared to his. I felt him start to suck on my bottom lip, one of his hands now snaking under my jacket. He bit down fiercely on the skin, muffling my scream with another crushing kiss.

When he pulled away I was panting and trying to catch my breath, praying to whatever God might be out there to save me from this Hell. With one hand he started to unzip my jacket and with the other he pushed me backwards, making me land on the few pillows I had on my bed. He ripped my jacket off my body, grabbing the collar of my shirt in two fists. Before I knew what he was doing, he tore it in half, making a clear line down my chest that revealed milky white skin.

"Breathtaking," he murmured, tossing the remains of my shirt across the room with my jacket. In a feeble attempt to cover myself, I crossed my arms across my chest. "Ritsuka," he snarled, roughly grabbing my wrists and wrenching them away from my body. "You'll learn not to do that…"

I shuddered at the threat, looking away from this horrible monster. A strange sound caught my attention, making my ears perk up curiously. With a few swift movements I found myself handcuffed to my bed, my arms stretched above my head uncomfortably. A pair of cold hands ran up my stomach to my chest, massaging the skin softly. Soubi lowered his head to my neck again, re opening the same wound he had given me before. After giving me a few more welts, his tongue trailed down my chest to my nipple.

To my horror, when he bit the soft bud it became hard. This seemed to encourage him as he smirked up at me, enjoying every second of my torture. "No, no, no, no…" I had started to whisper absentmindedly, watching with wide eyes as he ran one of his hands up my thigh. Then he started to rub my crotch through my jeans. I let out a strangled moan, the combination of him biting my nipple and rubbing me too much to handle.

I could feel myself getting hard, despite the fact that I was trying to think of something, _anything_ other than what the blonde haired man was doing. "Don't be shy Ritsuka," I heard his smooth voice whisper, his lips now resting just above my belly button, "You can't help the fact that your body reacts to me; it's completely natural."

"Shut up!" I suddenly screamed at him, all my anger bursting out. "Just shut up you sick freak! I hate you!" The silence was suffocating; the only sound you could hear was my ragged breathing, full of unwanted lust and anger. Soubi started to laugh, making me even more pissed off.

"My, my… this little kitty has a bit of a temper, eh?" He teased me, reaching up to stroke my ears. I jerked my head away, the anger replaced with hopelessness. No matter how angry I got, it didn't change my situation. He wouldn't give up that easily. 'Maybe if I…' The thought was interrupted by a sickening sound. Soubi was un-doing my jeans, staring at my body with eyes full of lust.

I tugged and pulled desperately at the chains constricting my wrists. Even though I knew it was useless, I would feel like I had given up if I didn't at least _try_. Now he had the belt undone and was slowly sliding my pants off my hips and down my legs, tossing them to join my other clothes.

"Don't be scared Ritsuka," one of his hands running up my thigh. I squeezed my eyes shut, hating the fact that it felt good. My mouth opened in surprise when his fingers lightly grazed above where my underwear and skin met. "No, no…" I said weakly, the heat from my cheeks now seemed to burn anywhere Soubi touched.

He removed my underwear slowly; the friction causing me to gasp. I opened my eyes slightly, almost feeling in pain from the intensity of my erection. Somehow Soubi had shed his long jacket and shirt in the time I had my eyes closed. I stared silently at the man leaning over me, my eyes running down his pale and toned chest. 'A beautiful monster,' I thought, quickly distracted when Soubi's tongue grazed my hip bone. My breath sped up as I watched him run his tongue up my erection.

The feeling of his hot, wet mouth on my member was unbelievable. I arched my back, involuntarily bucking my hips towards him. "So sensitive," he smirked, grabbing my hips to hold me down roughly. I moaned loudly as he took me all the way in. He waited for a few seconds, his eyes smiling at the noises I was making, before swallowing, the action only making me hotter.

"Stop!" I pleaded; feeling like my body was on fire. Every little movement he made felt incredibly intensified, like I was hyper-sensitive all of a sudden. He pulled away from me, looking up with curious eyes.

"Stop?" he mimicked what I said questioningly. The loss of contact made me squirm underneath his hands. I groaned, fighting an inward battle with my pride. My erection was throbbing, begging for some kind of release but I was horrified by this whole situation.

"Ask me for it, Ritsuka," he demanded with his eyes on fire. 'Fuck,' I thought, wishing again that my hands were free. 'What kind of sick, messed up game is this?' He waited for an answer, pressing one of his hands into the muscle below my belly button. I inhaled sharply, the battle quickly abandoned as I breathed, "Please…Soubi."

"Please what?" he grazed his fingers down my stomach to my thigh. I felt so degraded but I didn't care, all I could think of was the heat between my legs. "Please, do something, anything…" I practically screamed, almost sure that my face was burning red. "As you wish," he whispered, taking me in his mouth again.

He swirled his tongue around the tip, smiling at my whimpers and mewls. All of this was completely new; I wasn't quite sure what was happening. I felt the burning intensify; something was building from deep inside of my stomach. "I…something is…" I panted, not sure what to call what was happening.

He held my bucking hips down again, pulling me out of his mouth. "Ritsuka," he murmured, now nipping at my ear while un-doing his belt. "As cute as you look with ears…"


	3. Kitty No More

**Thank you again to everyone who reveiwed this! It makes me insanely happy when I get them. *love*  
Ummm, I am pleased to say that I have thought of a fairly good plan for the rest of the story... So it may end  
up being a pretty long story. Anyways, I'm glad you've taken the time to read this and I hope  
I haven't made anyone too angry at me (for making Soubi such a meanie).**

WARNINGS: Rape, yaoi and mild language. Also, I forgot to mention that there is a HUGE age difference between the two.  
Seeing as Ritsuka is in Gr. 6 and Soubi collage.  
Enjoy...

"Ritsuka," he murmured, now nipping at my ear while un-doing his belt. "As cute as you look with ears…" he let his sentence go unfinished, causing me to writhe underneath him. "No, NO!" I screamed wildly, tugging at my restraints in fear.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you're ready… for the most part," Soubi whispered against my cheek, planting a soft kiss near my lips. I couldn't see through the tears that were now blurring my vision. I wasn't ready to loose my ears to anyone, let alone to a man!

I felt one of his fingers invading me as a burning pain shot up my spine. "Wha-what are you…" I sputtered, stopping to cry out in pain when he added another finger. "Just relax," he commanded, continuing the extremely painful actions. "You need this," he said in an unreadable tone. I glanced down at him, realizing with a start that he had gotten rid of the rest of his clothing.

Clenching my fists, I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing it would all just stop. Suddenly he removed his fingers, moving himself so he was leaning over me, his hands supporting him on either side. I didn't dare to open my eyes, 'I can't watch this…' I thought numbly.

Before I knew what was happening, he thrust in roughly. I wanted to scream and thrash around in agony but the pain was unbearable, making me immobile. He paused for a few seconds, letting both of us adjust. My breathing was heavy as I tried to focus on something other than the pain.

I forced myself to open my eyes. 'I'm no coward…' I thought to myself bitterly. He pulled out a few inches, his face concentrated as he slammed back in. I found my voice again, letting out a tortured scream; it felt like I was being ripped in two.

To my surprise, a few thrusts later, the pain had started to subside, a new feeling like the one before arising. The same fire that I felt a few minutes ago came back, turning my screams into moans.

My body involuntarily started meeting his, the sound of skin hitting skin echoing in the room. "Soubi," I heard myself groan in ecstasy, much to my horror. His hand wrapped around my member again; pumping in time with his movements.

He stopped for a second, draping my thin legs over his shoulders before he continued. Suddenly he hit something inside of me, making me throw my head back in bliss. "Again!" I growled, lust overtaking my rational state of mind. He complied, moaning along with me.

The pain from a few moments ago was far from my mind as I heard him whispering my name huskily. I felt a pressure starting again, making my skin tingle anywhere Soubi's hands touched. "I…It's the s-same as before…" I whimpered, having no idea what was going on.

"It's okay," he explained, his voice laced with lust, "Just let your body take over." I tried to fight it, feeling like I was betraying myself by enjoying this but eventually I gave up and listened to Soubi, letting go of myself.

He hit that spot again, sending me over the edge. My small body shook in spasms of pleasure as I moaned incoherencies at the top of my lungs. Faintly I heard him doing the same, a weird feeling overtaking my lower half.

My eyes drifted shut as he collapsed on top of me, lightly kissing the welts he had given. I felt tired and exhilarated at the same time; it was the strangest feeling. "Sleep, little kitten," I heard his voice though it seemed to be miles away. "Sleep…" and that I did.

I yawned, bringing my hands to rub my eyes tiredly. 'Why am I so tired?' I thought, attempting to roll over. A searing pain shot up my spine and my whole body felt weak and shaky. Startled, I opened my bleary eyes, trying to blink out the sleep. I raised my hand to my head instinctively and gave a small cry.

"No ears?" I whispered in disbelief, forcing myself to ignore the pain to sit up. I looked down at my body, covered in bruises and welts. My wrists were red and scratched, almost like they had been…

"Is my little kitten hungry?" A familiar voice made me spin around to look at my doorway. There stood a fully dressed Soubi, a tray of food in hand. Everything that happened last night came flooding back, making my mouth drop open in surprise.

"You… you… I hate you!" I screamed, looking for something to throw at him. He smirked at me, setting the food down on my desk. "Stay away from me!" I warned, watching helplessly as he strode towards me, closing the space between us quickly. I looked up at him with fury in my eyes, trying to show him how much I hated him.

The only problem with that was… I didn't hate him as much as I thought I would. There was a strange connection I felt to him, almost like what had happened last night was inevitable. "You don't hate me, Ritsuka." He stated, grasping my face gently in his hand.

I desperately wanted to pull away, just to prove to him that I did in fact hate him… but I couldn't. Something held my body there, staring up into his piercing eyes. "You need me," he smiled softly at my agonized expression. "Just trust me."

I was about to argue and let him have it but he silenced me with his lips enveloping mine. The kiss was different than the ones last night. The ones last night were aggressive and uncaring, the ultimate opposite of these ones. I found myself melting into his warm mouth, wrapping my arms around his chest.

When he pulled away I was crying, all the confusing emotions bubbling up from inside me. He swiped his thumb across my cheek, wiping away my huge tears. "I love you Ritsuka," he said, his voice full of nothing but love. I looked away, letting go of him. My eyes landed on a picture of me and my mom, on vacation in America. "Where's my mom?!" I cried, looking up to Soubi with a panicked expression.

He let out a huge sigh, putting his hand where one of my neko-ears used to be. "I'll be taking care of you now…"


	4. Kitty's Bad Day

**First off, I'm sorry!! This is a really short chapter and it might sound a bit rushed... I apologize to the world!!  
Secondly, I have to thank everyone who reviewed this. It makes me so happy... *wipes tear.* And... I also  
apologize for making Soubi such a meanie. But, I kind of like Soubi when he's all mean and such.**

Anyways, warnings stay the same and I hope you enjoy this :D  
Onto the story... 

"Where's my mom?!" I cried, looking up to Soubi with a panicked expression.

He let out a pained sigh, putting his hand where one of my neko-ears used to be. "I'll be taking care of you now…"

There was a prolonged silence hanging in the air after he spoke the unbelievable sentence. "What…?" My voice cracked. I refused to believe this lunatic. "You… you hurt her?!" I breathed accusingly before he could start to explain. It didn't matter what he had to say, like I was going to believe _him_. "What did you do to her?" I screamed, pounding my fists against his chest, the tears returning.

His hands snapped out and grabbed my wrists, pulling me roughly against his chest. I squirmed between his arms as he embraced me. Suddenly I realized he was crying; his face buried in my hair. "I didn't hurt her," he whispered in a pained voice. "She hurt herself, Ritsuka. She left you in my care before she decided she was going to kill herself." I wanted to pull away from him and run as fast as I could to wherever my mom was.

I rested on my knees, pressed up against him, as still as a statue. "You said my mom… killed herself?" I asked in disbelief, pushing away from him. He let me go, sitting down on the bed beside me.

He nodded once, a grim expression on his face. "Are you… are you serious?" I looked over at my mom's smiling face in the picture, somehow already knowing he was. I waited, holding my breath and tears in. "Yes."

That one simple word sent me into hysterics. I threw myself into Soubi's arms, letting the sobs wrack my body. It hurt to cry so hard but I didn't care, I _wanted_ to feel like my heart was being ripped out of my body. I clung to him, burying my face into his shirt. 'He's all I have…' the thought hit me like a punch to the stomach, making me cry even harder.

I don't know how long I sat there with Soubi's arms wrapped around me as I sobbed. Eventually I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

When I woke up I could smell the faint scent of something cooking downstairs. I sniffed the air, my stomach suddenly rumbling. I sat up slowly, rubbing my puffy eyes. I wasn't used to crying so much. Numbly, I pulled on a fresh set of clothes and my jacket.

"I miss you already mom," I whispered, touching the cool glass of the picture frame. I felt the tears threatening to return so I quickly swallowed the lump in my throat and padded down the stairs.

'Empty?' I thought as I walked into the kitchen. I was almost certain Soubi would be sitting at one of the chairs, waiting for me. My stomach grumbled again when I inhaled the aroma of food. "Pancakes?" I asked no-one in particular. I grabbed a few from the plate they were sitting on and sat down at the table.

I was almost finished my third one when a cold hand brushed my cheek from behind. "Gah!" I yelled, shooting up from the chair, tripping over the table leg in the process. "Owwww…" I grumbled into the floor, slowly picking myself up. Angrily, I turned to see who had almost given me a heart attack.

There was Soubi, leaning against the counter with an amused smile. "Sorry." He didn't seem sorry at all. I hissed quietly, picking up the chair I had knocked over. He took a seat opposite me and watched me as I resumed eating.

"Do you want to do to school today?" He asked, studying me as I ate. I dropped my fork, letting it crash loudly against the plate. "What's wrong?" He questioned, sounding alarmed. Slowly, I raised my hand to where my right ear used to be. "I have no ears…" My voice was dull and distant.

To my surprise, he laughed before running up the stairs without saying a word. "What's he doing now…?" I mumbled, picking at my breakfast silently. A few seconds later he returned, a bag in hand. "Here you are," he smiled triumphantly, setting the bag down beside me.

I looked at it for a few seconds before returning to the half-destroyed pancake and popping a mangled piece in my mouth.

After a few minutes of him staring intently at me, I gave in and grabbed the bag angrily. I ripped out a package; I couldn't see what was inside. I looked at the label with a blank expression before looking up at Soubi. He looked pleased with himself to say the least.

"Replacement ears…?" I muttered, looking at him incredulously.

**--**

**The package contains a tail as well. :D  
**


	5. Kitty's Happy

**Ahhh! This is the last chapter! So sad... I loved writing this story. :D  
Same warnings as always and I apologize if you don't understand what's going on.  
If you don't please PM or leave a comment and I will try to explain it to you.**

Hope you enjoy and THANK YOU TO MY REVEIWERS!! I love you all!!

"Replacement ears…?" I muttered, looking at him incredulously. "You actually expect me to wear these?" I was sure my face looked like I wanted to rip his throat out. 'He thinks he's being funny…'

"Well, are you going to go to school without your ears? Surely people are going to talk," he smirked, looking innocently at me. Silence hung in the air, smothering me as Soubi waited for me to give him an answer; one he probably expected. Feeling the little pride I had go down the drain, I ripped open the package and slowly pulled out the fake ears and tail.

I had to give him props; they were pretty good quality and looked surprisingly like the ears I had before. "You just clip them in and the tail attaches to almost anything you want to wear," he explained. "Here," he stood up and walked around the table to me, taking the ears from my hands. "I'll help you."

"Of course you would be experienced in putting them on… just how many people have you had to do this for…" I grumbled angrily, low enough so he couldn't understand what I was saying. Or so I thought. "You're the first," he said seriously, his voice completely serious.

"But…you don't have your ears." I paused, confused by his statement. "I know," he clipped the fake ear on. "I meant you're the first time that I've wanted." He sounded like he was remembering something painful so I didn't say anything, waiting patiently as he clipped the other ear on. "There, you're all set," he patted the top of my head before pulling me gently off the chair. A blush spread across my cheeks as he reached around me to clip the tail to my jeans.

"Thanks…" I muttered, picking up my plate and setting it in the sink. "Hey, can I skip school today?" I asked hopefully, quickly glancing at the clock. It was already two anyway; it would be pointless to go for just an hour.

"I don't mind, what do you want to do then?" He leaned against the wall; half of his tall frame was blanketed in the sunlight streaming in from the window. I thought for a moment, studying the strange man in front of me. Last night flashed back into my head and I winced, remembering that he was hardly a friend to me. It was hard to remember that while staring up at his handsome face and piercing eyes.

"Um…" I mumbled, slightly dazed from staring at him for too long. "Anything is fine," I looked down at the counter, fidgeting with a stray strand of my hair. Immediately he smiled, reaching out to wrap his slender fingers around my wrist and pull me out of the kitchen.

A little while later I found myself in his car, driving to the university he was enrolled in. Soubi had suggested that we go and look at his art and I agreed, somewhat eager to see his work. The same strange feelings of hate and love stirred up inside of me as I sat beside him while we raced along the road.

The ride to the school was short; we reached it in less than ten minutes. "Just follow me," he instructed, opening the car door for me and walking towards the big front doors. I complied, staring at his back the whole time. After we had walked through a few hallways and up the elevator, we reached a room labeled: 'Extra Students Show Room.'  
I followed him into this too.

The room was pretty empty except for a few canvases that were covered with huge, blindingly white sheets. I watched intently as he strode over to the nearest covered canvas and ripped the sheet off, letting it float to the ground. What was underneath the sheet was a breathtaking picture of a butterfly emerging from a dusty looking cocoon. Different shades of blues and purples swirled together to make the insect's wings, while the palate of colors noticeably got darker as your eyes travelled closer to the broken cocoon.

Just as I was getting over the beauty of the first picture, I heard him whip the sheets of three other canvases, just as beautifully painted. I stood in the doorway, staring at all the intricate paintings with my mouth slightly agape. From my peripheral vision I saw Soubi lean against the wall, a small and contented smile playing on his lips. I stood, my legs feeling weak, for a good few minutes before my face was turned towards Soubi's by his thin fingers.

"Do you like them?" He breathed, his breath fanning across my face. I shivered, reacting to his touch. All I could do was nod. "I painted them for you," he said, looking like he was ready to cry. With a start I realized that I had tears streaming down my face. He wiped them away, cupping my face in his hands before leaning in to kiss me.  
At first I tensed up, standing frozen as his warm lips met mine. But soon I found myself kissing him back, with my arms wrapped tightly around his torso, handfuls of his jacket in my fists. The kiss seemed to last forever but I was still distressed when it ended.

"Ritsuka," he murmured happily, his voice loud against my face pressed up against his chest. "Last night…" he stopped, taking a deep breath, "Last night I had to do… what I did. You and I are very special, in the way that we were destined to be together since birth…. But I hadn't found you until it was almost too late. Normally, when a bond is formed like we have, the two people will already be together to nourish the bond, which in turn, makes them strong and healthy. Because you had been born late, my bond's yearning had only started when you had turned eight. By then, I had already lost contact with Seimei. That's when I started trying to find you. But, for you, you had twelve years of your bond loosing strength, which made you sick. You may not have felt sick physically but emotionally… If I hadn't of done what I did you would've died. We both would've died without each other…"

I listened to him breath as he waited for my response. A part of me was screaming that he was lying but I couldn't hear or listen to it. I knew he was telling the truth. I felt complete and whole now with his strong arms wrapped around me. Pulling away from him, I smiled wider than I had in a very long time and stood on my tippy toes to close the space between our lips.

He picked me up and held against his chest, walking over to a desk and pushing everything off before gently laying me on it. I watched, with happy tears in my eyes, as he climbed on top of me and whispered, "I love you, Ritsuka." And then, for the second time in my life, I lost my ears… sort of.


End file.
